Thursday, May 26, 2011

I don't get it either.

When I was younger, I used to think cut-down lever guns, a la Steve McQueen's "Mare's Leg" were just the coolest thing ever.

Now that I am older and actually know a little bit about firearms, I think they make about as much sense as a kickstand on a tank.

They still look cool though, and, y'know... Firefly. The worst thing is, there are people trying to sell me one now. (Well, I mean, they've always been available, but until now the whole NFA tax stamp thing was pretty good protection against dumb impulse purchases...)

"The 'rifle' is only chambered in pistol calibers and the receiver has been modified to not be long enough to accept rifle cartridges. It's classified as a 'pistol'."

Actually, the caliber has nothing to do with it.

The receiver started life as a pistol, "designed to be fired with one hand". It has never had a shoulder stock attached (nor is the barrel cut down from a longer barrel) therefore it is a pistol and not a "Short Barreled Rifle".

Actually, having handled those firearms at the NRA Con, I'm in line with Tam. However, taking 2 steps to the left and having fondled their 92 clones, I was very pleasantly surprised. Much better Bang for the Buck than a Mare's Leg.

Given pistol calibers, weight, size and action - aside from style points, the only benefit I can see over a full frame DA revolver might be a couple theoretical hundred extra FPS from the long(er) barrel.

Let me know if they come chambered in .45-70, that would be a viable carry option :)

The receiver started life as a pistol, "designed to be fired with one hand". It has never had a shoulder stock attached (nor is the barrel cut down from a longer barrel) therefore it is a pistol and not a "Short Barreled Rifle".

But what defines "shoulder stock", then? The ATF considers that wooden thing you bolt on the back end of a Mauser to be one, and will pop you for an SBR if you don't attach the barrel first... The "pistol grip" on that Mare's leg thing may be really short, but I'm inclined to be lenient, and I still think it looks like a stock.

I dunno, maybe it's a scale thing. It's hard to tell just how big it is in the picture, I suppose.

I've thought for a while now that the NFA only fails to be a pistol ban because the ATF knows what would happen if it interpreted the law so. That modern pistols are "designed to be fired with one hand" is a polite fiction.

Of course if you got your Letter of Marque and Reprisal, you would need to affix a cannon to your privateer ship. 76mm is about the minimum satisfactory size, so one would suggest that Original Intent was for private parties to own such cannons, even before the 2nd Amendment came along.

Some time ago I wandered into a gun shop that had some high powered hunting pistols. As I recall they used something like a 30-30 cartridge and the grip was more like what you see on a lever action rifle. Single shot, no lever. Haven't seen anything like it before or since. If I had known they were so unusual I would have paid more attention. Just did a quick Google and didn't find anything. Maybe it was a dream.